SCIPIO

I'll not answer Your kindness Syphax with a compliment. My tongue's not oiled with slattery. I have stolen A little time from Actium, to inform Numidia's King, how Room, by my advice, Hath chosen him a favourer of her cause That suffers by false Carthage. The success Of my recovering Spain, hath given new Hope's Unto her fainting spirits, that were near Their last expiring by the massacres The Carthaginian made. Six Consuls have Already fallen: my Father, and mine Uncle; Sempronius; Terentius and Flaminius; And last Marcellus, who received his death Even in the sighed of Room. Yet there's a Scipio Surviv's to conquer him, or die in enterprise. Room shall make great esteem of Syphax friendship And when she shall be wrapped in silken wings Of victory and peace, his statue crowned Shall grace the triumph. Sure it's Hannibal. His name and nature's stamped upon his brow; I in those wrinkles read it: valour mixed With cruelty; to which ambition only As the first wheel in engines moves the rest. That eye he lost passing the fens of Arnus; And such a look his counterfeit is drawn with. If there be treachery. Is't Hannibal? We are betrayed by Syphax. Rome's General, and thy enemy. I thought the same of Hannibal. To Room and Scipio. Mine more to see thee Hannibal; but rather Armed in the sealed, prepared for and encounter, Then here to parlee. Syphax no. Think of Rome's cause, and let your feast be seasoned With says to that. If thou prove treacherous, Expect a vengeance, justice never yet Gave severe execution to a greater. I must be gone; affairs of war attend me When I have settled Rome's peace, we'll comply In the effects: Actium Till then must live By blood and labour. Hannibal farewell: Next greeting will be rougher. Thou art but flattered By and ambition vainer than thy dreams. Ten Carthage's and Hannibal's will not weigh Equal with the achievement. Proud insister Upon his own slight merits! Remember Syphax Thy vow hath made thee Rome's. Syphax so soon revolted I what weak man Would mock away his safety? Children thus Playing with fire to please their foolish sense Are often burnt and make their sport the instrument Of their own danger. Massinissa yet Is constant, and by this time hath subdued him. Success must follow those attempts that rise From a just cause, and crown the enterprise. Lelius what news? It's a joyful errant. Just Nemesis, thy Grirfins have been swift, And born thee well to see the execution Of a revenge upon perfidious Syphax. Hadst thou failed in't, we justly might disclaim Thy deity, and without fear of punishment Profane thy altars: on whose marbles now We'll pay a sacrifice of richest flame Mixed with the blood of Kings, Discourse the progress To this event. Brave victory Worthy th'atchievers, to whose memories Eternal statues shall be raised, and trophies Rich as Rome's Capitol is glorious with. But where is Massinissa? I have new fears Flourish. That woman will again bewitch him. Know The cause. Only wealth I'de be possessed of. I embrace in thee A boundless treasure. The actions of thy virtue. Fortune's and under power that is her self Commanded by desert. It's a mere vainness Of our credulity to give her more Then her endue attribute; which is but servant To and heroic spirit. Let not thy modesty Maintain such errors. To refuse just praise Is and extreme worse then man's overweening Opinion of himself. Great Massinissa Shall have all honours endue unto his conquest; And wear triumphant Garlands; that false King Chained to his Chariot from the gazers eyes Inviting scorn, not pity. When superior justice Makes' us her instrument, should we be partial I execution, 'twere to mock the power, And call down vengeance. Yet I grieve for Syphax That he deserves the punishment; whose weakness! Suffered a piece of painted earth to tempt him From his religion, and neglect the gods, Whom he invoked for witness to that vow A woman made him violate. Do you enjoy the Lady? Yoar act was somewhat rash; Before her husbands death! Does the religion You pay Numidia's gods warrant it law full? We'll consult a little, And then dispose you Syphax. When first you freely did commit your self Unto my charge, and promised with a vow My liking only should dispose your actions, Either you loved them, or your slattery Pretended admiration of some virtues You thought possessed me. One I must confess I glory to be master of, that's continence. I have conversed with beauty's rich as Nature Did ever make art proud to counterfeit; Might have commanded some that conquest gave me: Yet have I still kept out desire, but you Have yielded to that passion does betray A weakness in you, will obscure the glory Of all your other goodness. Think how dangerous It's to a young man (on whose expectation Opinions eye is sixth) to mix his actions With wanton pleasures, when his thoughts transfer The wicked objects of his humorous sense Unto his soul, that poison all her faculties, And make them useless. Noble Massinissa, Your good deeds sung by same are music to me: Your errors I had rather you your self Would silently consider, and reform, Before with any show of least unkindness You force me to reprove them. Your own conquest! Pray do not arrogate too much: you must not Dispose Rome's prisoners while you fight her quarrel. The war's not yours, though yours the victory. She must attend her sentence from our Senate; Which hardly will be partial to her beauty, Though 'twere adulterated with more art, Then ever lasciviousinesse was mistress of, And rack it invention for. Let Sophonisba Be then delivered up. Is that your jealousy? Weak passionate man, that through thy blinded reason Foresee'st not thine own danger by example Of others misery, and yet art ripe, To maintain grossest errors of thy will, And seem discretions master. Had not Syphax (Bewitch by magic of her wanton eye Into a dotage) broke his faith with Room, He might have flourished in his height of glory; And still commanded over his Division. Which Room will add to Massanissas Kingdom Yielding up Sophonisba. Then I disclaim thee. Ther's not so much danger In a known foe, as a suspected friend. To preventan incendium it is best; To quench a brand before it fire the rest. Exit. The Lady dead! Could not Massinissa Acquit himself of one, but by committing A greater folly! But I must not chide. Most worthy Massinissa! With best care attend him Unto our Tent; least that his passion grow Into a desperate frenzy, I must cure it By counsel mixed with gifts. In that weak woman Half Carthage strength is gone. We'll dispose Our Army thitherward. Me thinks I see Victory crowned already clap her wings Over our heads. What a strange circulation Is in times accidents? From victory Peace is derived; from peace security; Thence lust; ambition: two main grounds of jars: We fight for peace, and peace again breed's wars. Exeunt. Now Carthaginians, Although I am a conqueror, success Swelis me no higher to prefer my self Above what judgement warrants. I have strove With all opposing reasons to forget Your often breach of faith: which you are taxed with By all men for a vice that the you breath Infects you with, as if the places nature Enforced it from necessity. But custom Must be concluded, is the most efficient To cause that barbarous neglect of piety, Which should be men sole object. I am strengthened Sufficiently against fear; since I can easily Compel you to subjection. But preferring A mild command before imperious rigour, Declare your selves, and you shall find that we Practice no cruelty. Can there be faith In those that would betray their own! and such a one As made the end of all his actions Your greatness first, and when that failed your safety? A man that more than figured Mars, and merited A deifying by your gratitude. Blush at it fame, and with thy hundred tongues Till all are hoarse proclaim it. The conditions Proposed shall stand, if but to punish this, This monstrous act. Nature me thinks should throw ye From her warm bosom with and angry motion Of all th'earths sinews, and not suffer ye To suck her milk; but dry her fruitful womb Into a barrenness, before such monsters Should be again produced. As you perform The strictest clause, and what afflicts ye most, Call it not satisfaction for our injuries, But punishment for your ingratitude To Hannibal. Lelius attend the Carthaginian Senators; Survey the City, and see execution Exit. Of all the league includ's. Does Scipio triumph, And Massinissa hang the head! One article Is that they shall restore to Massinissa All that they have deprived him of. Still that passion! I thought her memory had been washed away With the large streams of blood so lately flowed From his victorious sword. Come Massinissa You shall enjoy a Roman Lady; one That shall outvie the glory of a sun Throned in his clearest sky, and make his light Appear but as a shadow to her beauty, One that shall comprehend within her self All that was ever feigned of other women, And make their fables probable. That the wealth Of Rome's best province might but ransom home His lost command over passion. Did ever innocence Look sweeter as if she were joyed to make This little frame her mansion. Why d'ee weep? They shall not hurt you pretty one. Suppose they do; Romans are full of gentleness, and mildly Will entertain you; where you shall be taught Civility of manners. Education Clothing your mind in ornaments of virtue Fitting your expectation, and your beauty Rip't with mature age, Roman Knights shall court it. Perhaps my self would take you to my bed. Can you then deny To cherish such a hope? You should enjoy Delights above your wish. Your house should be A court of pleasure. Spring should always dwell Within your gardens, as it Tempe were Translated thither. Virgins should attend you Fair as the morning, when she ushers in The day with blushes. Your baths should be the Due Gathered from Roses, and your garments soft As the curled air, by mild Etesian winds Made temperate, when the Sun rides on his Lion To hunt heavens Dog up. You should sleep on down Driven from Swans white necks; be visited By Matrons; ushered to solemnities; And at the public shows outshine the glory Of daylight with the lustre of those jems You should be decked in and a conqueror when His head's wrapped in triumphant Laurel, couch it Upon your lap. The barren soil That bred you is in fault. I must confess Nature hath in your yet imperfect beauty Showed wonders to the world: you areth'epitome Of her most curious labours; and if fortune Should in so fair a book blur any lest Exact drawn line, her deity were cruel. Your own's a barbarous country, where civility Hath scarce a name. You cannot there expect A valve of your self, above the worship Their eyes will give you, when they rudely gaze Upon your form, and by the sense distinguish The outward workmanship. We teach our souls A glorious conversation with those virtues That deck the inside of a beauteous frame, And vary pleasures, honours, earth's delights To imitation of that infinite And never dying partly. What is Lucius? You love her then? Blessed occasion. Now Massinissa if example may Rectify errors in thee, make my act And imitable president. Young Prince Receive her from my hands; withal the sum Intended for her ransom as a dowry. Love Room and Scipio. Massinissa is Become himself again. Wherefore this music? It's seasonable: there is cause to joy, Since Massinissa's new wed to my bosom, And this young Ladies nuptials. On bravely, on; the foe is met; The Soldiers ranked, the battle set. Make the earth tremble, and the skies Redouble echos from your cries. Blood puts a scarlet mantle on The late green plain: they 'l sty anon. Then follow; but your order keep; Take prisoners; set their ransoms deep. Retreat. For same and the delight That peace brings only Soldiers fight. So you proportion pleasures, we give way to't. Is Lelius yet informed of Hannibal? If his discontent Should anew whet his envy to attempt Their aids, 'twould much disturb the Asian provinces. We'll follow to prevent it. Lelius you Shall carry our success unto the Senate, And with it Syphax, and the Carthage pledges. Come my souls half, we'll hunt this Afric Lion Into a stronger toil. Fame shall wait on us Till we have loaded her, and that she see Our triumph finished in his tragedy. Exeunt. Hannibal I know Hath put of the rough habit which his mind Was lately wrapped in: and since chance hath made him The subject of my conquest, in the peace Room hath allowed his Country (the conditions Being strictly kept) all passed contentions Must loose their memory, and after strites Be stisled in their first birth by prevention. I must acknowledge my ambition Boar my thoughts higher than my Countries good, Or her enlargement only. Had my fortune Captived the person of great Hannibal. My triumph should outvie all the rich pomps That ever made Room shine. But the dimensions Are bounded with that strict necessity They cannot be extended. Flatter not Those Hope's with expectation of a change To any better than the now condition Of thy subverted greatness: which being ruined Beyond all reparation, thy attempts To built it new, wanting materials, Are vainer far than the Sycilian Dogs Barking against the Moon. How thou art mocked With self-opinion! Know I have a soul So full instructed, it hath power to temper The difference of my fortune with that mean, That even the highest glory to my self Is but adversity, and and abject state No less then is my present greatness. Man From outward accidents should not derive The knowledge of himself: for so he's made The creature of beginnings over which His virtue may command: Fortune and chance. When he by speculation hath informed His divine partly he's perfect; and Till then But a rough matter, only capable Of better form. It oft begets my wonder That thou a rude Barbarian, ignorant Of all art, but of wars, which custom only Hath (being joined to thy first nature) taught thee, Shouldst know so much of man. That which consists In Actium only, and th'event, depends Upon no certain rule demonstrative, Is fates, not reasons. Who the second? What then Am I that conquered Hannibal? Did ever pride so swell infected parts Of a rich soul! Were not his mind corrupted With that disease of virtue, I should covet To join mine with't in and eternal fellowship; And only here in outward enmity Divide our bodies. What's the meaning Of this? Restrain him. Why should Hannibal From the weak warrant of a bore suspicion Be guilty of such barbarousness! By all The Hope's I have of good men's loves, or memory amongst their true valuing of desert, I ever Restrained m'uncertaine thoughts their liberty From being busy about betraying Hannibal By any practice honour might not father, And gladly call his own. Thou didst much Lessen thy self in thy first fear; and now By the ill-grounded jealousy of my virtue Wilt make thy own taxed. From this Paedia I have been truly moral; institutions Have been my guides in every Actium Which I did either as a man, or Prince. Cyrus himself, to whom they were directed, Pursued them not so strictly as I have. Breath not thy soul forth then Till thou art satisfied Of my true innocence: for if thou diest In thy suspicion, be assured it will Disturb thy peace hereafter, and thy ashes, As the pile hallows them, will fright thy ghost With shapes of the dishonour thou unjustly Would lay on Scipio. He's dead: with him my glory. Scipio's acts (I'll have Die's. Havenot another object worthy them, Or his attempts. You Massinissa I'll see established in your Kingdom. Carthage Thy base ingratitude to him, whose merit But justly challenged all that thou couldst own Shall teach me a prevention. Solitude Is the souies best companion. At Linturnum My Country Villam I will terminate My after life free from men's flatteries, And fear of their lean envy. He that suffers Prosperity to swell him above a mean, Like those impressions in the air, that rise From dunghill vapours, scattered by the wind, Leaves nothing but and empty fame behind.